Home Market Releases for January 5th, 2016

January 4th, 2016

We are getting back to normal for the home market releases. There are no major first run releases, but one of the biggest limited releases of 2015 hits the home market. Sicario earned nearly $50 million after starting in limited release and the Blu-ray Combo Pack is the Pick of the Week. It wasn't the only contender for that honor, as Deathgasm (DVD or Blu-ray) and Infinitely Polar Bear (DVD or Blu-ray) were also in contention.

Agatha Christie's Partners In Crime - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A married couple become spies during World War II. This is not the first time the short stories by Agatha Christie have been turned into a TV show and the 1983 version is better.

Broad City: Season 2 - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Great show, but $25 for ten half-hour episodes is too much to ask.

Captive - Buy from Amazon: DVDVideo on Demand
One of the biggest bombs of the fall, and there were a lot of big bombs this fall. The reviews are terrible and it was ignored by moviegoers. It will very likely remain ignored on the home market.

The Complete Lady Snowblood (The Criterion Collection) - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Both parts in the Lady Snowblood saga. The films are about a woman who was conceived by rape going after the gang that raped her mother. There are not a lot of reviews on Rotten Tomatoes; only five for bothmovies combined. However, all five of those reviews are positive and Criterion Collection rarely releases bad movies. There are not a lot of extras on the Blu-ray, just some interviews and promotional material. However, if you are a fan of the genre, it is worth picking up.

Experimenter - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-rayVideo on Demand
I'm still waiting for the screener for this movie. It earned excellent reviews, but went nowhere at the box office. Given its reviews, it is worth checking out. However, it might be a Pick of the Week contender, if the DVD / Blu-ray is good.

Fantomas - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
This is a five-movie set for the Fantomas franchise, which essentially created the crime thriller movie genre. It was previously released in 2010 and I put out a request for a screener then and didn't get it. I put out a request this time around, but so far it hasn't arrived. Hopefully it is just late due to the holidays.

The Green Inferno - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-rayVideo on Demand
I think Eli Roth is entering the, "Whatever happened to..." phase of his career. This movie was noteworthy, because he attacked so-called SJWers before the film opened. You know a film is in trouble when the filmmaker attacks SJWers in order to drum up support from Red-Pill Reactionaries. ... By the way, if you don't know what these terms mean, I envy you. The reviews are bad and even if you like the genre, there are better options out there.

High School Exorcism - Buy from Amazon: DVDVideo on Demand
I looked at this film and immediately thought it might make a good double-feature with Deathgasm. It looked like a fun cheesy B-movie horror film. Unfortunately, it is a Lifetime Channel original movie and is therefore way too tame to be truly entertaining in that way. It isn't terrible, but "watching it free on TV" is the ideal way to consume a movie like this.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Season 10 - Buy from Amazon: DVD
I might get a screener for this TV show. Usually Fox sends these screeners on time, but the holidays tend to mess with all deliveries. The reviews are excellent, so I remain hopeful that it will arrive.

The Last Kingdom - Buy from Amazon: DVD
A BBC series about the founding of Britain, but not a stodgy historical drama. [Copy Ed: It certainly isn't, as it doesn't hold back in the action] The show is about the Viking invasions. It is one of a number of historical TV shows set in roughly the same period, not to mention the fantasy shows that base their setting in this historical period. The reviews are amazing, but there's a lot of competition.

Legend - The Complete Series - Buy from Amazon: DVD
This show could almost be called Wild West MacGyver. Richard Dean Anderson and John de Lancie star as a writer / drunk gambler and a scientist / inventor respectively. When people think Richard Dean Anderson based his novels on his real-life exploits, John de Lancie creates inventions to help him become the hero people think he is. The show only lasted one season, twenty years ago, but that was more due to network incompetence rather than poor quality. (The first season of the UPN was a mess with no real set schedule, except for Star Trek.) The show only lasted 12 episodes, but the DVD costs just $9, which is cheaper than a movie ticket in a lot of places in the States.

Love - Buy from Amazon: 3D Blu-ray Combo PackVideo on Demand
I heard this film described as arthouse porn. That's not a compliment. Go watch a really good arthouse romance, like Carol, then buy some well-made porn. When you try to mix these two genres, you get a mush in which neither side works.

Luther: Season 4 - Buy from Amazon: DVDVideo on Demand
Two episodes. This DVD is just two episodes for $20. I don't care how good the show is (it's great) two episodes for $20 is unacceptable.

Scout's Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo PackVideo on Demand
This film bombed in theaters, partially because of its release date (it came out the day before Halloween), but also because of its release strategy. It had a very quick turnaround from theatrical release to VOD, so a lot of theater owners simply decided to not show the film. The reviews are not bad, for the genre. If you are a fan of horror comedy, it's worth a rental.

Sicario - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo PackVideo on Demand
At one point, this film was thought to be an Awards Season contender. It did earn 93% positive reviews, but it was snubbed by both the SAGs and the Golden Globes. There appears to be no extras on the DVD, but the Blu-ray has a quartet of featurettes, which mostly focus on the real life war on drugs. Easily worth picking up and a contender for Pick of the Week.

True Detective: Season 2 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-rayVideo on Demand
I reviewed the first season of this show and in retrospect, I think I was too kind to the show. It spent many, many episodes setting up a lot only to deliver on almost nothing. This season, the reviews dropped dramatically. They are still overall positive, so if you really liked the first season, it is likely still worth checking out. However, it was such a drop for a show I no longer like tht after thinking about it longer, I decided not to request a screener.

TV on DVD Full Series Megasets - Buy from Amazon: Party of Five
Only on TV on DVD Full Series Megaset on this week's list. It's a really good show, but coming so soon after the Christmas shopping season will hurt sales.

The Walk - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray, or 3D Combo PackVideo on Demand
This film was thought to be a serious contender during Awards Season. Its reviews are 85% positive, but it completely bombed during its wide release. (It wasn't the only film that had similar troubles this year.) Because it struggled at the box office, the DVD and Blu-ray don't have a lot of extras. There are a trio of featurettes and some deleted scenes. That's enough to be worth picking up, but not enough to be a contender for Pick of the Week.